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June 27, 2011

Busch and Dodge Dominant in Road-Course Win at Infineon!

Posted on: June 27, 2011 – 2:31 pm by RLD

Dodge NASCAR KB at Infineon 550x365 Busch and Dodge Dominant in Road Course Win at Infineon! Steve Addington Sprint Cup Series shell Pennzoil NASCAR Kurt Busch Jeff Gordon Infineon Raceway double deuce charger Brad Keselowski motorsports photo

 

Our own earned his 23rd career Sprint Cup Series victory Sunday in dominant fashion, leading a race-high 76 of 110 laps in the No. 22 / Dodge at Infineon Raceway.  Busch’s winning margin of four-seconds over second-place Jeff Gordon was never in jeopardy and continued a month-long hot streak that includes three poles and a race win. It was the second win of the season for Dodge.  gave Dodge its first victory earlier this month at Kansas.

Kurt’s win vaulted the 2004 series champion three positions to fourth in the Sprint Cup driver point standings.  He’s only 34 points behind the leader.  Busch’s win at the 1.99-mile, 12-turn road course was the first road-course victory of his career and first win since the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte in May, 2010.  Busch’s previous best finish in 10-career starts at Infineon was third in 2005.

After dominating Friday’s practice, the driver of the “Double-Deuce” was a bit off the mark in qualifying, posting the 11th fastest lap.  With track position always a key at Infineon, Busch would need a fast race car and great race strategy to contend for a win.  He got both.  The fastest car all day, Busch drove to the front of the field on lap 13 and led all but 21of the final 97 laps.

“It was an unbelievable setup,” said Kurt.  “Once we got into the groove with this car, it seemed to get better after lap five or six.  Our cars have never done that before.  I’m real proud of this Dodge team, everybody from Shell and Pennzoil.  If that doesn’t inspire you to go get a SRT8 Dodge Charger, I don’t know what will.  That was an awesome handling Dodge.  I’m so proud of these guys for stepping up after what we’ve been through.  Man, we’ve been on a high these last few weeks.”

Led by crew chief Steve Addington, the Shell/Pennzoil Dodge team elected to go with the two pit-stop strategy over the course of the 110-lap race.  With a fast race car and incredible fuel mileage, Busch only needed to get to the race lead and let his Dodge Charger do the rest.  Once in clean air, Addington’s race strategy and Busch’s fast race car easily pulled away from the 43-car field.  It became apparent very early in the race the No. 22 Dodge was the car to beat.

We stuck to it, our strategy,” said Steve.  “We had a game plan.  Kurt said he was going to try to get a couple of positions there at the start.  I was thinking, okay, if we start 11th, we’ll get to 7th or 8th.  He drove by everyone, took the lead.  That made it easier on me and my guys to make a decision.  We felt like we had the speed in our car to go to our designated lap before stopping.  It didn’t matter what everybody else was doing.”

The next stop for our hard “Charging” drivers will be the Coke Zero 400 at the Daytona International Speedway on July 2.

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June 20, 2011

Tough Weekend for Kurt Busch and Dodge at Michigan

Posted on: June 20, 2011 – 12:25 pm by RLD

11MIS1tb5852 550x366 Tough Weekend for Kurt Busch and Dodge at Michigan Sprint Cup Series shell Penske Racing Pennzoil NASCAR Michigan International Speedway Kurt Busch Irish Hills HELUVA GOOD! Sour Cream Dips 400 Dodge Charger Brad Keselowski nascar photo

For the fourth consecutive week, a R/T led the field to green in the Sprint Cup Series.  ’s continued his torrid four-week stretch by earning his third straight and 15th-career pole position for Sunday’s HELUVA GOOD! Sour Cream Dips 400 at Michigan International Speedway.

Success at the two-mile oval in Irish Hills is simple, have a race car that handles well on long green-flag runs.  Cautions flags are traditionally rare as horsepower is trumped by a well-handling race car.  Track position is king.  Unfortunately, finding that right balance on the slick race track proved to be the undoing for the Dodge Boys.

Hoping to capitalize on early track position, Busch struggled finding the right setup on his / Dodge Charger.  Despite never racing outside of the top 10 for the first 198 of the 200-lap race, Busch’s car seesawed from ‘loose’ to ‘tight’.  Finding the happy medium was a struggle.

“A really up and down day for us,” Busch said.  “It’s always tough when you earn a pole position and can’t take advantage of it during the race.  Our Shell/Pennzoil Dodge Charger was just too inconsistent today to contend for a race win.  We were a solid top-10 race car, but just couldn’t get (it) dialed in enough to run with the leaders.  We ran 198 laps inside the top 10, finished 11th after getting nudged out on that last restart.  It was really a seesaw day for us.”

 

Mechanical grip was the major issue for the 2004 series champion.  A solid top-10 car for nearly the entire race, Busch and crew chief Steve Addington used multiple air pressure, track bar and wedge adjustments searching for the right combination.

“It seemed like our car would be good for the first five laps of a green flag run, and then once the track would rubber-in, we would run tight,” Busch added.  “Our first lap was awesome; the last 199 were a challenge.  You have to be rock-solid on these two-mile race tracks.  You need a good race car, solid pit stops and good changes to keep up with the track and we just were too inconsistent today.  A solid points day for us and that’s important in the big picture.”

With his 11th-place finish, Busch dropped one position to seventh in the Sprint Cup driver standings – 41 points behind the leader.

Looking for his second win in four Sprint Cup races, Michigan-native turned a poor qualifying effort into early race motivation.   Starting 41st, he gained 21 positions and raced his Miller Lite Dodge Charger into the top 20 by lap 15.  Unfortunately for the recent Kansas winner, a fast race car didn’t multiply into race results.

Running 18th, Keselowski brought out the race’s third-caution on lap 81 when he blew a right-front tire after making contact with the outside retaining wall.  The incident dropped Keselowski 13 positions for the restart on Lap 89.  With the loss of track position and a damaged front-splitter, Keselowski could only manage to run as high as 21st position, fell a lap down, took a wave around on the race’s final caution on lap 192 and finished 25th.

“Obviously we had a poor qualifying effort that forced us to start at the rear of the field,” said Keselowski.  “Once the green flag flew, our Miller Lite Dodge was a rocket.  We were able to make our way up the field and raced as high as 18th.  I was just trying to move around on the race track, trying to get us to where we needed to be.  I just pushed too hard and hit the wall and that led to a flat tire that totally changed our day. It’s tough and this track and race means so much to me.  I really wanted to have good run and we just didn’t make it happen today.  It was just one of those days where it didn’t matter what we did, we were going to have a bad day.  We’ll just keep working at it.”

Our Dodge boys will head back to the shop and regroup before heading to Infineon Raceway in California for the next stop on the grueling 2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup schedule.

11MICH11rl3310 550x366 Tough Weekend for Kurt Busch and Dodge at Michigan Sprint Cup Series shell Penske Racing Pennzoil NASCAR Michigan International Speedway Kurt Busch Irish Hills HELUVA GOOD! Sour Cream Dips 400 Dodge Charger Brad Keselowski nascar photo

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June 13, 2011

Kurt Busch Claws his way to a Second Place Finish at Pocono

Posted on: June 13, 2011 – 11:00 am by RLD

Kurt Busch 001 550x365 Kurt Busch Claws his way to a Second Place Finish at Pocono Sprint Cup Series Pocono Pennzoil NASCAR Kurt Busch dodge charger motorsports photo

After a hard fought battle, posted his best finish of the 2011 Sprint Cup Series season here Sunday at Pocono Raceway, driving his No. 22 Shell/ to a second-place finish in the 5-Hour Energy 500 on the 2.5-mile track.

Busch started from the pole at the triangle-shaped track, led three times for 37 laps and was never outside the top five.  The race came down to a battle between Busch and race winner Jeff Gordon over the final 80 laps.  Both came to pit road for the final time on lap 178 of the 200-lap event with Gordon the leader and Busch a close second.  Both had flawless pit stops, but Gordon maintained the advantage on exit.  Busch finished three seconds back at the checkered flag.

It was the second straight pole of Busch.  He started from the point last week at Kansas and led 152 laps before finishing ninth in what turned out to be a fuel-mileage race won by his teammate Brad Keselowski.  Busch relinquished the lead with nine laps remaining to make a stop for fuel.

“It was a great run,” said Kurt of his runner-up finish.  “It’s pleasing to see that result.  I’m exhausted.  It was a hard-fought battle with Jeff Gordon at the end.  We ran him strong, we ran him hard.  It started with about 70 to go.  We were able to take the lead and stretch it out.  Then there was a caution.  The 24 beat us out of the pits and that was the difference. I’m real proud of our Shell/Pennzoil Dodge today, our team, and our teamwork.  To finish second is a good feeling.  Even though it’s a backup, it was a strong car today.  We were working it hard today.  I’m thankful to have good equipment and thank Roger Penske and the Dodge team.  We were good enough to win today.”

Keselowski started 20th in the No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge, but had made his way into the top 10 by lap 50.  Running in the top 15 on lap 78, he radioed crew chief Paul Wolfe and crew the car had developed a vibration.  He made an unscheduled trip to pit road on lap 80, replacing all four tires.  That didn’t correct the vibration.  The problem turned out to be a broken left rear shock mount.  The team corrected the issue only to have it break a second time.  Keselowski finished 23rd.

“I think we had a top-five car there at the end when it mattered,” he said.  “We had a broken shock, got it fixed and then it broke again.  It’s just unfortunate.  We had a really, really strong car and didn’t capitalize on it today.  We did what we could, but there are some things you just can’t overcome.”

Keselowski slipped one spot to 22nd in the standings, but he’s only 13 points out of 20th.

Our Dodge Chargers will be back at it next weekend at the Michigan International Speedway.

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May 24, 2011

Win a Tricked Out Charger R/T from the Kurt Busch Foundation!

Posted on: May 24, 2011 – 12:00 pm by RLD

DSC 5237jpgrevised 12 550x296 Win a Tricked Out Charger R/T from the Kurt Busch Foundation! NASCAR kurt busch foundation 2011 Charger R/T charger models photo

When Kurt Busch is not running his No. 22 Shell-Pennzoil Sprint Cup Charger on the high banks, he’s busy helping others in need. The Kurt Busch Foundation  www.kurtbusch.com/foundation lends meaningful support for the betterment of organizations. They get involved in the areas of health care, education, career training and rehabilitation and lend support to military families going through rough times.

Kurt wanted to do something very cool to raise funds for his foundation and collaborated with us and Mopar® to customize a “one-off” 2011 Charger R/T. This awesome looking ride is painted in our new Redline Red color and features a yellow centered racing stripe. It’s also been fitted with door scoops inspired right from the 1970 Charger R/T. The rear spoiler and front fascia are also unique and tell folks this is no ordinary R/T model. Black chrome 20-inch wheels and Mopar Performance lowering kit give the Charger and even more aggressive stance. The 370 horsepower 5.7L HEMI® V8 will breathe a little easier and have an even throatier note thanks to Mopar Cat-Back exhaust system. On the inside, Mopar Katzkin® leather seats featuring Busch’s signature and number are fitted on the high-buckets.

“This is one fabulous Dodge,” said Kurt.  “I’m delighted with what Dodge and Mopar have done and how they’ve helped the Foundation. They’ve done a stand-out job on this car. Someone is going to be very happy driving this amazing Dodge around town.”

This is the second time the Kurt Busch Foundation has conducted a car raffle as in 2009, a lucky winner laid some rubber in a Challenger SRT8. So don’t be left at the curb and put in gear as only 5,000 raffle tickets will be sold for this head turning Charger R/T. Tickets may be purchased online at www.kurtbusch.com for $100.00 each.  Additional photos of the Charger along with a schedule of events to see this muscle machine in person can also be found on the website.

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May 12, 2011

The Marketing of Speed and Horsepower

Posted on: May 12, 2011 – 2:34 pm by RLD

1966 HEMI Charger ad 404x550 The Marketing of Speed and Horsepower By Geoff Stunkard R/T NASCAR magnum Madison Avenue HEMI Geoff Stunkard Freedom Dart charger challenger charger models photo

The automotive world has changed a great deal in the 50 years since the muscle car era. Madison Avenue is no longer dominated by a male culture, the average lunch no longer mandates three Manhattans’ or other high-octane concoctions once referred to as ‘brown water’. We’d like to think that everything is a little more gentle than it once was. The truth be told is that the musclecar business was never, has never, and will never be a bastion of political correctness. You either had the need for speed, or you didn’t and on that merit alone, it was always sort of ‘us versus them.’

1rt 550x365 The Marketing of Speed and Horsepower By Geoff Stunkard R/T NASCAR magnum Madison Avenue HEMI Geoff Stunkard Freedom Dart charger challenger charger models photo

A name like denoted speed and aggression; not for the namby-pamby set. Adding R/T to it meant you had bought power to match the name. For the chosen ones, the car names rolled our tongues off easy enough –, Dart, . They denoted something that was not passé, something guaranteed to be more than a pedestrian walk down the boulevard. Sure, nobody really knew what a Polara or Monaco was, and those names subsequently faded away. But a Coronet denoted the torrid era of jazz, Swinger was slang for a certain type of fast and easy lifestyle, and Demon, well, that title spoke for itself. Then you could put some initials on it – R/T for Road / Track, GTS for Gran Turismo Sport, T/A for Trans Am and on it went. The names were not for the faint of heart, and were badges worn with honor at the local drive-in.

426 Ramcharger Max Wedge1 550x450 The Marketing of Speed and Horsepower By Geoff Stunkard R/T NASCAR magnum Madison Avenue HEMI Geoff Stunkard Freedom Dart charger challenger charger models photo

Then there were the engines – Magnum, Six Pack, , Max Wedge, Ramcharger. One early variety was a race six cylinder called a Hyper Pak; again, not the stoic motivation that took your mom down to the grocery store. Nope, these were engines that often right came from the factory with chrome and high-lift camshafts. You ended up at the gas station (sometimes more often then you wanted), showing everyone in walking distance what was under the hood. You didn’t have to ask them to look, either; once that hood was open, they’d just show up to scope it out.

4whitehat 550x365 The Marketing of Speed and Horsepower By Geoff Stunkard R/T NASCAR magnum Madison Avenue HEMI Geoff Stunkard Freedom Dart charger challenger charger models photo

The dealerships would use whatever incentives they could find to get people to come in and check them all out. It was the Lively Set, then the Hot Ones, the Dodge Rebellion, the White Hat Guys, and Dodge Fever, Dodge Material, and the Scat Pack. Sure, there were thousands upon thousands of non-performance cars that came out at the same time, but marketing the excitement of performance was a huge part of selling them as well. The idea was to use that excitement to put someone into a similarly-styled 318 Charger, or slant six Dart, or Coronet station wagon.

3landy 550x365 The Marketing of Speed and Horsepower By Geoff Stunkard R/T NASCAR magnum Madison Avenue HEMI Geoff Stunkard Freedom Dart charger challenger charger models photo

Hiring winning drivers like Dick Landy, Don Garlits, David Pearson, and Buddy Baker led to notoriety on the sports pages as well. It was a big deal during this time period to have a ‘win on Sunday, sell on Monday’ mentality. Most manufacturers pushed the sanctioning bodies for favorable rules, and built cars to meet the needs. In the first part of the 1969 model run, there was a semi-sleek Charger 500, and that was followed up after a close-but-no-cigar effort in Florida that winter with a radically-restyled Charger called the Daytona (named for the race), with a pointed nose and skyscraper deck wing.

Degabumpdrafting 2 550x366 The Marketing of Speed and Horsepower By Geoff Stunkard R/T NASCAR magnum Madison Avenue HEMI Geoff Stunkard Freedom Dart charger challenger charger models photo

We still like to have fun marketing musclecars. Our Chargers and Challengers still run the high-banks of and NHRA strips. Our current batch of TV spots and prints speak of the passion, performance and the spirit that drives us. And who could forget our now infamous Challenger Freedom TV spot?

Here our future president George Washington and his worn band of patriots route a regiment of British Redcoats by a trio of black Challengers SRT8s.

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April 11, 2011

Kurt Busch Collects Fifth Top 10 Finish of Season

Posted on: April 11, 2011 – 2:35 pm by RLD

22cartexas 560 Kurt Busch Collects Fifth Top 10 Finish of Season top 10s texas motor speedway Steve Addington Sprint Cup race winner point standings Pennzoil Nationwide NASCAR mobile 500 Kurt Busch green flag Gordon Dodge Motorsports Dodge Charger checkered flag features photo

recorded his fifth top-10 finish of the 2011 Series season Saturday night in the Samsung Mobile 500 at as all three Dodge drivers led laps in the 334-lap event.

 

Busch led five times for 50 laps, second only to race winner Matt Kenseth. He finished 10th in the No. 22 Shell/ , one of 12 cars on the lead lap at the checkered flag. In the six previous events this season, Busch has led 51 laps.

 

 

Several cars were off sequence on pit stops including Busch. While it enhanced Busch’s opportunity to lead, the former Sprint Cup champion still needed the same number of pit stops over the last half of the race. His last stop came with 14 laps remaining as Busch gave up the lead after a 24-lap stint at the front.

 

Although the race was slowed by five cautions, there were five rounds of green-flag stops which continually shuffled the cars at the front of the field. There were 31 lead changes in the race among 13 drivers.

 

“It was just a hard-fought battle all night,” said Busch. “We qualified 10th and finished 10th. We led laps when we were off-sequence, but overall it was a hard fought battle to get the car dialed-in once again. We struggle to make adjustments as we go. We were off-sequence on pit stops which might have helped preserve the top 10. It’s tough. We want to compete for top fives and wins and we’re only getting top 10s right now.”

 

Busch is fifth in the season point standings, 16 behind the leader.

 

“I didn’t think we would be that much off on the setup to start the race,” said crew chief Steve Addington. “It seemed like when we adjusted on the car, we would get different results. It’s a bit of a mystery. We had to use some different strategy and we really shouldn’t have to do that. We should be up front challenging for wins. We just need to get a handle on this thing right now. I’m proud of everyone on this team who worked so hard on the Shell/Pennzoil Dodge. We did what we had to do to manufacturer a top-10 finish.”

 

Brad Keselowski finished 18th in the No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge Charger. He led once for a career-best 32 laps early, but he also was off-sequence on pit stops. Once he dropped a lap to the leaders, the opportunity to recover never came.

 

“We worked our tail off today; got ourselves some track position early in the race, made the most of it and led some laps,” said Keselowski. “That felt really, really good. We just weren’t good enough to stay up there, but we weren’t bad tonight. We were a 10th- to 15th-place car. We didn’t catch any bad breaks, but we didn’t catch any good breaks. We needed to do a little bit better on pit road; we lost some spots there we couldn’t get back.

 

“I thought Kurt (Busch) and I were pretty even. He out executed me a little bit and got himself a 10th. That’s about where we should have been. That’s progress from where we’ve been, but we’ve still got a ways to go.”

 

Robby Gordon led once in the race, the first time he’s held the point since the season-opening Daytona 500. “The crazy thing is, we were as good as the 29 (Kevin Harvick) and he finished 20th, said Gordon. “We just don’t make the most out of our races. We ran with him all night long. Having to back up on one of the pit stops hurt us; that was my fault. All in all, we worked hard. I thought we were going to be a top-15 car. It fired off like that, but all of a sudden, the car just went wicked loose. We never got it fixed.”

 

Nationwide Series
Brad Keselowski, the 2010 NASCAR Nationwide champion, had his best outing of the young season in Friday night’s 300-mile event. Although it was his fourth consecutive top-10 finish in six starts, it was the first time Keselowski challenged for victory right down to the checkered flag. He crossed the finish line a close second to Carl Edwards.

 

Teammate Sam Hornish Jr., making his second start of 2011 in the series, finished 16th despite having to make an unscheduled green-flag pit stop for a loose wheel.

 

Keselowski started second in the No. 22 Discount Tire Dodge Challenger and led 16 of the 200 laps. He overcame a tire issue of his own early in the race which required an unscheduled pit stop, but quickly worked his way back to the front and raced in the top three the last 150 miles.

 

“We ran like we did all year last year tonight and made some great adjustments on the car,” he said. “We just came up a little bit short. I felt like if we could have cleared him (Edwards) coming off pit road (after Edwards stopped with 11 laps left) and got the clean air there, I felt like I might have been able to hold him off. “We were both really even there at the end, and it kind of came down to clean air.

 

“I thought that we were really close today. It was a good battle at the end. I hope everybody enjoyed it. I thought that I might be able to get him. He had about six or seven lap newer tires; more importantly he had the clean air and the ability to put his car where he wanted to and he did a good job with that. I think we made some pretty big strides with our Nationwide program this weekend. “

 

For crew chief Todd Gordon, it took away some of the disappointment of his first season as Keselowski’s crew chief. The gremlin has been tire issues. For example, Keselowski took the white flag as the leader at Las Vegas, but cut down a tire going into Turn 1. He still managed to finish third.

 

“We unloaded pretty fast and got a chance to work on our Discount Tire Dodge Challenger from there,” said Gordon. “I felt like if we would have gotten out in clean air, I think we would have driven away from them. Every week is a learning experience for the two of us. Every time we go racing, it helps us get better as a team. A good night for us tonight, that’s for sure.”

 

Hornish qualified 16th and finished in the same spot in the No. 12 Alliance Truck Parts Dodge Challenger. It was his first start since the season opener at Daytona.

 

“We definitely could have brought it home in the top 10 if not the top five,” said Hornish. “We had a wheel issue and had to pit which had us off sequence. We could never get back. I’m really proud of all the guys that work on the Alliance Truck Parts Dodge and look forward to next week, racing two weekends in a row. We were way too free starting off the race. We adjusted the car too much when it was hot and when it cooled off, the car was really loose. We could go after 20 laps, but it was getting to that 20 lap mark.”

 

Crew chief Chad Walter will use the positives as the team prepares for Talladega. “Sam did a good job and all-in-all, the Alliance Truck Parts Dodge team did a good job. This is a team working together for the first time. We would take this car to Talladega, but we’ve got a better bullet back at the shop. That race is a wildcard; anybody can win there. I feel like Penske Racing has really done its homework and we’re going to have something for them next week.”

 

Race Results
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series
Samsung Mobile 500
Texas Motor Speedway
1. Matt Kenseth
2. Clint Bowyer
3. Carl Edwards
4. Greg Biffle
5. Paul Menard
6. Marcos Ambrose
7. David Ragan
8. Jimmie Johnson
9. Dale Earnhardt Jr.
10. Kurt Busch
18. Brad Keselowski
31. Robby Gordon

NASCAR Sprint Cup
Point Standings
(After 7 of 36 Races)
1. Card Edwards 256
2. Kyle Busch -9
3. Matt Kenseth -13
4. Jimmie Johnson -13
5. Kurt Busch -16
6. Dale Earnhardt Jr. -21
7. Ryan Newman -23
8. Juan Montoya -24
9. Kevin Harvick -28
10. Tony Stewart -43
11. Paul Menard -47
12. Clint Bowyer -55
22. Brad Keselowski -97
31. Robby Gordon -152

Race Results
NASCAR Nationwide Series
O’Reilly Auto Parts 300
Texas Motor Speedway
1. Carl Edwards
2. Brad Keselowski
3. Paul Menard
4. Joey Logano
5. Elliott Sadler
6. Justin Allgaier

7. Reed Sorenson
8. Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
9. David Reutimann
10. Brian Scott
16. Sam Hornish Jr.

NASCAR Nationwide
Point Standings
(After 6 of 34 Races)
1. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. 218
2. Jason Leffler -14
3. Justin Allgaier -24
4. Elliott Sadler -30
5. Reed Sorenson -30
6. Aric Almirola -31
7. Trevor Bayne -37
8. Brian Scott -45
9. Kenny Wallace -54
10. Mike Bliss -68

– 30 –

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April 1, 2011

Fast Five to Hit the High Banks at Martinsville

Posted on: April 1, 2011 – 12:50 pm by RLD

ff 560 Fast Five to Hit the High Banks at Martinsville tv commercial texas motor speedway talladega superspeedway special announcement Robby Gordon richmond international raceway month of april martinsville speedway horsepower high banks final four Fast Five Dodge Fast Five Dodge Charger dodge car chases barren landscape charger models photo
 
Fast Five will make its high octane fueled debut in theaters on April 29th, but race fans will have chance this weekend to see our own Robby Gordon and his No. 7 wrapped Fast Five 2011 NASCAR Charger driven compete this weekend at Martinsville Speedway. Throughout the month of April, Robby’s menacing looking Fast Five Charger will compete at the Texas Motor Speedway, Talladega Superspeedway and Richmond International Raceway.

In Fast Five, our HEMI® powered Chargers have a starring role throughout movie and really kick it into high gear with adrenaline packed action scenes. We also have another surprise under our hood, during the Final Four Tournament this Saturday on CBS, we’ll be airing our new TV commercial featuring both a 2011 Charger R/T and the 1970 Charger from the original Fast & Furious in an interesting plot that proves car chases make movies better. Here an uptight mother of British royalty from the 1700’s tries to circumvent the relationship between her daughter and an unwashed commoner. It’s a tale of forbidden love of the high- magnitude that has both parties racing across a barren landscape door handle-to-door handle as the Chargers do a little “bump drafting” and swap paint.

Make sure to check back at Red Letter Dodge for a special announcement on how you could win a tricked out 2011 Charger R/T along with some really cool swag and a special invite to watch the premier of Fast Five later this month with some really cool guests!

photo Fast Five to Hit the High Banks at Martinsville tv commercial texas motor speedway talladega superspeedway special announcement Robby Gordon richmond international raceway month of april martinsville speedway horsepower high banks final four Fast Five Dodge Fast Five Dodge Charger dodge car chases barren landscape charger models photo

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March 31, 2011

2011 Charger styling: Days of Future Passed

Posted on: March 31, 2011 – 7:00 am by Geoff Stunkard

charge0 2011 Charger styling: Days of Future Passed window tim wellborn taillight T Chargers survivor steve fox Speedway spacer Smothers side marker sheet metal sesame street season rolling stone magazine refined lines rear quarter production need NASCAR muscle car muscle monterey pop model John Stunkard insets increase HEMI Charger Hazzard Geoff Stunkard gas cap Dukes detroit desire daytona David Pearson dash coronet Coke bottle charger bucket seats bottleâ body panels charger models photo

It was the summer of 1967. Music was in the air at Monterey Pop, and lots of things were new – the first Super Bowl, the television show Sesame Street, and Rolling Stone magazine all debuted that year. On the streets of , Dodge prepared to unveil one of the most iconic designs of the era, the 1968 .

Prior to 1968, the Charger had been an attempt at restyling the Coronet with wedge-shaped body panels and a fastback roofline. It worked; David Pearson won the Grand National title with one the year it arrived on the scene, 1966. The car was marketed as a sports model, available with Hemi power if desired, four bucket seats, and a futuristic dash layout. However, the stylist team had other ideas for Charger when it returned in 1968; indeed, with Detroit’s muscle car fire burning brightly, 1967 Charger sales fell to just over 15,000 units. What showed out that summer to replace the first-generation Charger indeed ‘far out,’ as they might of said on the well-remembered Smothers Brothers show.

charge68 1 2011 Charger styling: Days of Future Passed window tim wellborn taillight T Chargers survivor steve fox Speedway spacer Smothers side marker sheet metal sesame street season rolling stone magazine refined lines rear quarter production need NASCAR muscle car muscle monterey pop model John Stunkard insets increase HEMI Charger Hazzard Geoff Stunkard gas cap Dukes detroit desire daytona David Pearson dash coronet Coke bottle charger bucket seats bottleâ body panels charger models photo

A survivor 1968 Hemi Charger graphically displays why it was a popular car; less than 500 Hemi R/T Chargers were sold in 1968, making it quite rare today. However, the redesigned body sold 96,000 examples total that year. Photo by John Stunkard, car owned by Steve Fox

The hard refined lines of the Coronet origins were replaced by a double-diamond ‘Coke bottle’ design, swelling slightly outward from the front wheel openings and again at the rear. Styling insets were laid into the body and door panels, adding ‘speed’ cues to the sheet metal itself. The covered headlight motif that had identified the first-gen models, though the grille, was now deeply inset into the front end styling. Round taillight and side marker lights finished off the look, which was augmented by a flip-top racing-inspired gas cap on the driver’s side rear quarter panel and a rear window that fell steeply down to recess into the fastback.

Did it work? How about 96,000 units sold, a 460% increase in sales? How about appearing on the cover of magazines like Look? The factory reworked minor styling cues during the next two years, but the basic street design remained the same. For racing, the inset grille and rear window that styling had used to such great success proved to be problematic at speeds over 170 mph, so the factory released two special models, the Charger 500 in late 1968 and the radical high-wing the following summer, to alleviate those issue and return to the winner’s circle. The desire to create a more aerodynamic basic package meant a completely redesigned package for 1971, but when people think ‘Charger’ from a historical standpoint, the design flying in the movie Bullitt, jumping in the TV show The Dukes of Hazzard, and crashing in the more recent film The Fast and the Furious is what comes to mind.

charge69a 2011 Charger styling: Days of Future Passed window tim wellborn taillight T Chargers survivor steve fox Speedway spacer Smothers side marker sheet metal sesame street season rolling stone magazine refined lines rear quarter production need NASCAR muscle car muscle monterey pop model John Stunkard insets increase HEMI Charger Hazzard Geoff Stunkard gas cap Dukes detroit desire daytona David Pearson dash coronet Coke bottle charger bucket seats bottleâ body panels charger models photo

The Dukes of Hazzard was one of several shows that used the 1968-1970 Charger design. However, the inset grille and rear window mounting proved problematic at speed. This is during the Labor Day Mopar Thunder weekend at Bristol Motor .

charge69c51 2011 Charger styling: Days of Future Passed window tim wellborn taillight T Chargers survivor steve fox Speedway spacer Smothers side marker sheet metal sesame street season rolling stone magazine refined lines rear quarter production need NASCAR muscle car muscle monterey pop model John Stunkard insets increase HEMI Charger Hazzard Geoff Stunkard gas cap Dukes detroit desire daytona David Pearson dash coronet Coke bottle charger bucket seats bottleâ body panels charger models photo

A change came in late 1968 for the 1969 Daytona 500; named Charger 500 for the number of examples needed to be legal in racing. The Charger 500 was modified with a flush grille and flush back window. However, the Fords were still a little faster so…

charge69d1 2011 Charger styling: Days of Future Passed window tim wellborn taillight T Chargers survivor steve fox Speedway spacer Smothers side marker sheet metal sesame street season rolling stone magazine refined lines rear quarter production need NASCAR muscle car muscle monterey pop model John Stunkard insets increase HEMI Charger Hazzard Geoff Stunkard gas cap Dukes detroit desire daytona David Pearson dash coronet Coke bottle charger bucket seats bottleâ body panels charger models photo

charge69d2 2011 Charger styling: Days of Future Passed window tim wellborn taillight T Chargers survivor steve fox Speedway spacer Smothers side marker sheet metal sesame street season rolling stone magazine refined lines rear quarter production need NASCAR muscle car muscle monterey pop model John Stunkard insets increase HEMI Charger Hazzard Geoff Stunkard gas cap Dukes detroit desire daytona David Pearson dash coronet Coke bottle charger bucket seats bottleâ body panels charger models photo

…they released an even more radical version in the early summer of 1969 called the Charger Daytona. It has a pointed nose and high deck wing with wide upright pylons. The height of the wing was determined by the need to open the deck lid. After running for a season, NASCAR required them to run a small 305” engine. Despite the lack of cubic inches, a small-block powered Daytona was in the running to win the 1971 Daytona 500 until it got tangled up in a multi-car piled up midway during the race.

It is now 2011, and for this year, Dodge has taken a page from the past with the newest Charger. Indeed, perhaps its best testimony came from noted Charger collector Tim Wellborn of Alabama. When the model arrived at his muscle car museum in Alexander City as part of the redletterdodge.com tour, he was pretty succinct on his assessment of the rework design.

“The best thing was that these cars, the Charger especially, looks right at home with the classics; it’s finally a Charger that looks like a Charger,” Wellborn remarked.

Later, after driving it as part of a road test we did for Amos Auto Enthusiast magazine, he went even further in his accolades.  “All I can say is – it’s a Charger! I’m all about the styling, because the first thing anybody does is look at your car.  With the right color and stripes, this one will get attention coming and going.”

charge2011 1a 2011 Charger styling: Days of Future Passed window tim wellborn taillight T Chargers survivor steve fox Speedway spacer Smothers side marker sheet metal sesame street season rolling stone magazine refined lines rear quarter production need NASCAR muscle car muscle monterey pop model John Stunkard insets increase HEMI Charger Hazzard Geoff Stunkard gas cap Dukes detroit desire daytona David Pearson dash coronet Coke bottle charger bucket seats bottleâ body panels charger models photo

At the Wellborn Muscle car Museum, a vintage Charger Daytona advertisement is on a display billboard. The new Charger has been redesigned to take in some of the styling cues that helped make the second-generation Charger a classic. Note the body indentations.

What impressed Wellborn and the others who have seen it as an entire package. The ‘speed’ styling cues that defined the body and hood lines in 1968-1970 have returned in 21st century form on this car, which remains in a four-door format for practicality in the present age. A new taillight treatment using LED lighting harkens back to the 1970 models, while the front end design retains a notable connection to the present styling cues Dodge has refined over the past decade. One thing that did not return was the notchback roof line, which should let the guys who go really really fast at places like Daytona and Talladega, breath a little easier in traffic.

charge2011 2 2011 Charger styling: Days of Future Passed window tim wellborn taillight T Chargers survivor steve fox Speedway spacer Smothers side marker sheet metal sesame street season rolling stone magazine refined lines rear quarter production need NASCAR muscle car muscle monterey pop model John Stunkard insets increase HEMI Charger Hazzard Geoff Stunkard gas cap Dukes detroit desire daytona David Pearson dash coronet Coke bottle charger bucket seats bottleâ body panels charger models photo

Here is the LED taillight design, which harkens back to the 1969-70 design.

Beauty is more than skin-deep. The car has set new standards for interior layout and comfort, as well as similar real-world improvements in suspension and braking. Power comes from the most recent incarnation of the 5.7L HEMI engine in the R/T version. Even the economy minded will appreciate the horsepower increase that has arrived with the Pentastar V6, which can deliver 27 mpg on the highway.

Styling has been a hallmark of the Charger during its most legendary appearances in the Dodge line-up. The people who desire a two door model now have Challenger choices; for the midsize car buyer, the latest version of Charger is indeed ‘Days of Future Passed.’

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February 22, 2011

Kurt Busch’s Bid For A Daytona Sweep Comes Up Just Short

Posted on: February 22, 2011 – 11:24 am by RLD

daytona500 560 Kurt Buschs Bid For A Daytona Sweep Comes Up Just Short Steve Addington Speedweeks Speedway shell Roger Penske Robby Gordon Regan Smith Pennzoil Number 22 nascar action NASCAR Motorsports Miller Lite Dodge Charger R/T Miller Lite Kurt Busch Juan Pablo Montoya Gatorade Dodge Motorsports Dodge Charger R/T Dodge Charger dodge daytona international speedway daytona beach fla daytona 500 daytona budweiser shootout Budweiser bud shootout Brad Keselowski AAA motorsports photo

was in excellent position to make 500 history Sunday afternoon at International .  A Sweep was within his grasp.  He had won the Budweiser Shootout and Gatorade Duel earlier in Speedweeks in the No. 22 Shell/Pennzoil R/T.  The crown jewel, a 500 win, was within his grasp.

Busch was third in the 53rd running of The Great American Race as the field prepared for a restart after the 15th caution extended the race beyond the scheduled distance for a green-white-checkered finish.  To enhance the opportunity, his younger brother, Kyle, was close behind and the two were prepared to hook up in tandem for a run to the checkered flag.

Both were fast, very well the fastest two cars in the field, especially in a two-car draft.  They agreed to team up in tandem until they reached the final turn and then settle the issue on the track.

The strategy was working as the two quickly made a charge on the leaders, but before the field took the white flag, a four-car mishap brought out a record 16th yellow of the afternoon, setting up another green-white-checkered.  In the process, Busch lost his drafting partner.  His brother had a tire rub and had to make an unscheduled pit stop.

Busch’s new drafting partner would be Juan Pablo Montoya.  The duo tried to go to the outside, but lost momentum and could not mount a challenge for the win.  Busch had to settle for fifth.

“What a race,” said Busch.  “On that last lap, I just needed to stay on the bottom of the track and it just didn’t seem like Montoya could stay together and get enough steam built up on the run.  I was in perfect position to win the race, running third and just made a mistake.  It’s tough.  We came all this way, but came up a little shy.”

“All in all, it was a great point’s day for us.  We’ll take it.  To have a run at history was something special.  I tried to block it out all day.  We fought through adversity when we knocked a hole in the grille.  For Shell/Pennzoil, , AAA and Coca-Cola, this was a great day.  Now we move on to Phoenix and get the season started.  I’m real happy with this fifth-place finish.  To make a mistake on the last lap, I’m going to be the one that has the sour feeling in my stomach.”

Busch led 10 times for 19 laps, much of it to the credit of Regan Smith who was the drafting partner most of the race.  He lost that partner in a mishap that brought out the 15th caution.  Busch was pushing the No. 78 when he was hit from behind by Tony Stewart, knocking the No. 22 into the rear of the 78.  That turned Smith into the path of three other cars.  He managed to continue after a stop for fresh tires and still finished seventh.

“As the race got down to the end, I thought that I was in perfect position to put this Shell/Pennzoil car into victory lane.  We just kept battling back with different guys.  I feel horrible for Regan Smith.  Those guys were with us all day.  Tony Stewart came up behind us with a head of steam.  I got on the brakes as hard as I could not to hit the 78; he got the short end of the stick.  For us, finding different guys to work with, I thought I was in perfect position to bring it on home.

“I was just one step behind on the last lap.  I went to the middle; I needed to be on the low side.  I had Montoya behind me.  Those guys behind just pulled Juan away from my rear bumper and took away the head of steam that we needed.  We finished fifth.  This was a great Speedweeks.  It’s a great way to start off the season in the double-deuce.”

Team owner Roger Penske said Busch drove a “masterful” race.  “It was just one of those days at the end where we needed the right partner,” he said.  “With all the green-white-checkered flags (two), you want to be careful because we’re running for the championship.  Two wins (Bud Shootout and Gatorade Duel) and a fifth-place today in the 500, this month at is a great finish for us.  It’s great for and Shell/Pennzoil and all of our sponsors.”

In addition to the record 16 cautions (previous record was 12), the race had a record 74 lead changes (60 the previous record).  The big one came on lap 29, a 14-car mishap.

“What a stressful day,” said Steve Addington, crew chief for the No. 22 team.  “We got a hole knocked in the grille and fought to get our Shell/Pennzoil back up to the front.  Kurt was patient all day long and worked really well with Regan (Smith).  It was a tough deal for him getting spun like he did.  I just want to thank all the guys that lay a hand on this race car.  We had a great month and they worked their tails off to give us good race cars down here in .  It’s a great way to start the season.”

Penske teammate also led in the event in the No. 2 Miller Lite R/T.  He was at the front twice for seven laps and running in the top 10 when a group of cars got a run, bumped the No. 7 ENERGY Drink R/T, knocking it into the No. 2.  That set off a four-car mishap.  Heavy damage forced Keselowski out of the race while Gordon was able to continue.

“It’s just an end of the race deal where everyone is just a little bit too aggressive to be pushing that hard,” said Keselowski.  “Robby did his best to try and help me move up.  It’s one of those deals where I had two packs of cars in front of me and I needed just a little bit of help.  It wasn’t Robby’s fault.  Our ’s worked well together today, we had moved up to sixth and seventh and started to make a move.  My Miller Lite was really fast.  We had a really strong car.  We just got caught up in a wreck.”

Gordon was running seventh in the closing laps when he was bumped from behind and knocked out of line.  He gathered his back in, but was shuffled back to 17th.  He finished 16th.

“We had a top-five race car and ended up 16th, said Gordon.  “I’m disappointed in the finish, but I’m excited to be working with , excited about the Penske program.  I think we’ve solved a few of our problems, so I think we can have a good run at Phoenix.”

The 500 ended earlier than Brian Keselowski had hoped, but the dream week was not tarnished.   A push from his younger brother, Brad, in one of the Gatorade Duels got him into the 500 field.  The day ended on lap 29 as Keselowski’s No. 92 Discount Tire was involved in the 14-car mishap.

“It’s not the way we wanted it to end, but it’s been a great week,” he said.  “I’m just so thankful for everybody that has helped us out.  Unfortunately, it just didn’t work out today.  To get wrecked 30 laps into the race isn’t what we wanted.  We overheated early in the race, came in, cleaned it off (grille) and thought  we had a chance to work our way forward.  Something happened in front of us, cars got together and there was just nowhere to go.

“I sure hope to go to Phoenix.  I’ve said right along, I really want to go there, but I want to go competitively.  I want to make the show.  I want to race all the laps.  If I can’t do that, then I won’t go.  We’ll see where we are about Tuesday.  We’ll try to get the car together.  If we’re able to get the car together, then we’ll go to Phoenix.”

Nationwide Series

led three times in the No. 22 Discount Tire Challenger before being caught up in a mishap which ended his day.  Contact with another car sent the No. 22 out of control down through the grass and back onto the track in turn one where contact with another car caused extensive damage.  Keselowski finished 30th.

Sam Hornish Jr. had his share of misfortune.  He was caught up in two mishaps which ended his day before the halfway mark.  He finished 36th.  Two other Challengers were in the field.  Donnie Neuenberger was running at the checkered flag and finished 23rd while Robert Richardson Jr. had overheating problems and finished 32nd.

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February 18, 2011

Kurt Busch Wins Gatorade Duel Qualifying Race

Posted on: February 18, 2011 – 11:48 am by RLD

BuschTrophyGatoradeDuel 560 Kurt Busch Wins Gatorade Duel Qualifying Race wave victory lane victory two cars team effort success strategy spotters Speedweeks Speedway shell saturday night Saturday race car performance Pennzoil ledger laps Kurt Busch Gatorade Kurt Busch K Automotive grass gatorade duel Gatorade everything engine double deuce Dodge Charger dodge department daytona international speedway daytona Chief Steve Addington budweiser shootout Brad Keselowski features photo
 
’s 2011 season ledger remains unblemished.  Busch drove his No. 22 Pennzoil/Shell Charger to victory in Thursday’s first Gatorade Duel (60-lap, 150-mile) at International .

Just as in his win in the Budweiser Shootout under the lights Saturday night, Busch had help from a drafting partner.  This time it was Regan Smith.  The two paired up early and stayed together the entire race, swapping positions occasionally to keep their racing machines from overheating.

The strategy worked to perfection.  Busch led five times for seven laps including the final two as the race was extended beyond the scheduled distance for a green-white-checkered finish.

Busch came into Speedweeks looking to break into the win column in a restrictor plate race.  Now, within a week, he’s visited the victory lane twice.

“This is sweet,” said Busch.  “It was just an overall team effort to get this victory.  To have Shell/Pennzoil on board and start this strong with the double-deuce , I’m beside myself.

“You can’t be in this position if you don’t have a great race car.  My guys have put together an awesome for me.  The cars we brought down here, all of them have great strength to them.  The engine department knows they’re going to bring us even more for Sunday’s race.  So I’m really excited.  Again, I can’t get too far ahead of myself because this is and this place can jump up and bite you pretty quick.  But we are going to ride this wave.”

Smith was impressed with his drafting partner and the of the No. 22 .  “Kurt and I worked well all day and we had good cars hooked up together,” said Smith.  “He worked with me down here last week and taught me the switch and everything like that.  I hope we can find each other and do the same thing on Sunday.  We work well together.  We had two cars that hooked up well together, and we had two spotters working real hard together.”

Crew Chief Steve Addington says the experience to this point has been awesome, but a lot of work went into the success and the job isn’t finished.

“I think it goes back to what went on over the winter, this group of guys that come to the race track every week.  They’re a great support group.  They work really hard.  They do anything that I ask of them without any bickering or anything else.  They just get in there, keep their heads down and dig.  That’s the kind of group of guys that you need to go to the race track with every week.  I’m really proud of them.  They’ve taken it to the next step and did some extra things that I asked of them.  No complaining, so I’m really proud of that group of guys.”

In the second Duel, ran into trouble on lap 41 when he was bumped in the draft and his car went sliding down to the apron of the track and through the grass.  His car received no major damage and with a quick pit stop for tires, the No. 2 Miller Lite was back on the track.

Over the final 16 laps, he proceeded to author “The Story” of Speedweeks.  He lined up behind his brother Brian for the restart and proceeded to push him into the 500.  The older Keselowski was one of 12 drivers battling for one of the eight 500 berths available to those drivers not in the top 35.   Brian finished fifth in the No. 92 K-Automotive and Brad was seventh in the No. 2 .

“What a day,” said Brad.  “I pushed my brother into the 500.  That’s pretty cool.  It feels good for him.  We really wanted to win, but it was nice to do that with Brian.  Our objective is always to win, but we just weren’t there today.  We got a solid run out of it.  We just have to keep working on it.  I’m excited to finally get the chance to work with my teammate (Busch) on Sunday.  I think that we can do some good things together.”

Brian had plenty of credit for his brother.  “We wouldn’t have even made it here if it wasn’t for him,” he said.  “When he had the accident, I’m not really sure what happened, but it put him back there with us.  He got behind me and started to push.  A couple of times, the caution came out and we could line up (together).  We worked together trying to get a hole.  He jacked me sideways a couple of times, but that’s just the two-car draft.  That’s how it goes.  You can’t lift.  You can’t stop for the guy in front of you or you are going to get wrecked by the guy behind you.  I owe everything to everybody, Ernie Elliott for helping me with the motors, for helping us on the car.  It’s hard to believe, we’re in the 500.”

Robby Gordon finished 19th in the second Duel.  “The strangest style of racing I’ve been involved with in a long time.  We bump drafted so hard, we dented in the left rear quarter panel.  It’s tough.  If you don’t have a drafting partner, you’re left out there on your own.  Our SPEED Energy was pretty good.  We just need to take it back to the shop, fix ‘er up and get ready for the 500.”

Busch will start third in Sunday’s race, Bryan Keselowski 12th, 16th and Gordon 30th

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